


Can You See The Light?

by wannabebestseller



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Bad Boy Louis, Deep plot, Drinking, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Heavy Plot, Human!Harry, Innocent Harry, Kissing, M/M, Mention of Death, Religion, Smoking, Strangers to Lovers, age gap, angel!louis, fallen angel AU, just lots of fluff and angst, kind of mystery, mention of alcoholism, mention of parental abuse, mention of suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:08:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25534858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wannabebestseller/pseuds/wannabebestseller
Summary: Louis is a fallen angel who needs to drink souls to survive. The more pure the soul, the more time it gives him. He can sense when people are close to death so that he can be there to catch their souls. One day he meets Harry, the purest soul he had ever seen. Louis could tell that Harry was supposed to die that day, but he didn’t. Why? And why can’t Louis seem to stay away from him?
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 13
Kudos: 47





	1. The Hunt Begins

**Author's Note:**

> To clear up the tags- age gap because H is 16 and L is hundreds of years old!  
> Mention of abuse, d*ath, and su*cide, but not graphic depictions at all!  
> I’m not religious and this story does not reflect christianity or any other religion!  
> Enjoy xx

We all know what happens to bad humans when they die, but do you know what happens to bad angels? Angels, who have been cast out of Heaven, walk the earth among us. They drink the souls of the most pure in order to buy themselves more time. Why? Because fallen angels don’t go to Hell when they die. No, they go to a place much worse than that. They go into the abyss.

It had been ten years since Louis fell, and he thought he was surviving alright. He had picked up human mannerisms, got himself a job as a bouncer at a nightclub, and picked up a Northern English accent to fit his location. In just ten years, he’d been able to fit in like a regular Doncaster local.

He wasn’t just good at finding pure souls, he was the best. He could smell them from miles away, and could pick out a dying soul in a crowd. When he picked up on a scent, that’s when the real fun began. He would follow the people, and match what he believed they needed to hear based on their emotions. He liked to think of himself as a siren of sorts. When the people would die, he would be close behind to catch their soul and drink it, treating his illness and satiating his thirst.

When he wasn’t drinking souls, he was smoking cigarettes. The nicotine didn’t affect him the way it did most humans, but it helped curb his thirst between hunts.

He happened to be lighting one up around 4 pm on an early Autumn afternoon when he realized he wanted cupcakes. This was odd to him because he never craved human food, although the sweets were better than most. He couldn’t help but follow the scent as he strolled along the sidewalk, eyes heavy and relaxed while looking out at the sunset, following the crunchy leaves dancing in the wind. 

When he reached the scent, it was in a quaint, rundown bakery with barely anyone in it. He took a last drag of his cigarette, stomped it out, and exhaled as he swung the door open. The bakery was quite cute, with a yellow floral theme and lots of doilies and white lace curtains. 

To Louis’ surprise, the smell wasn’t cupcakes at all. It was the young man at the register, currently flashing his dimples at a pregnant lady and cooing at her small daughter. He had the same familiar glow around him that all pure souls did when they were close to their end. Louis almost felt bad for the poor sap. He seemed so young and healthy.

He watched as the boy contemplated for a moment before speaking to the lady again. “You know, we’re closing in about twenty minutes, and we have a bunch of goods left over. Maybe you could take them for your shower tomorrow?” The woman beamed and nodded, and Harry snuck the baked goods into a bag and handed it to her with the rest of her things.

_ Oh, he’s pure _ , Louis thought. He needed to follow him, to be there when he died. It had been a week since his last soul, and he felt ill already. He wasn’t sure when it would happen though, so he opted to introduce himself and make nice, just in case.

Louis sauntered up to the counter just as the boy was taking the trays out of the display case. “Hello,” he drawled.

“Oh, h-hello sir. Um, we’re closing in about fifteen minutes, but if you know what you want, I can surely grab it for you.” His eyes were green and his cheeks were flushed. His hair was a mess of curls and his lips were wet and pink and… “Sir?”

Louis snapped out of it. “That won’t be necessary, I just thought I’d come up and introduce myself. I’m Louis,” he said with a toothy grin, eyes squinting.

“I’m Harry,” he stuck his hand out.  _ Harry. _

Louis shook it firmly and set his elbow on the counter. “So, are you locking this place up tonight?” He smiled sweetly, the ultimate actor.

“Um, yeah. The baker and his wife usually leave me to clean and lock up on Thursdays,” Harry explained, an innocent half smile and a dimple occupying his face.

“Perfect. Why don’t we go out then, you and me? Have a bit of fun?” 

Harry looked shocked and Louis could see his chest moving up and down as his breath quickened. “Well, I would, but I sort of have something to do after work...and it takes about a half hour for me to clean…”

“Tell me Harry,” Louis leaned over the counter and breathed in Harry’s scent. Mint and vanilla. “Is whatever you’re planning on doing more important than having the time of your life?” Harry just stood there, shaking his head with wide eyes. “Oh good, I can wait outside while you finish cleaning up.” And with that, he turned on his heel and lit up another cigarette before he even got out the door.


	2. A Night Out

Louis was waiting under the streetlight when he heard the clang of a bin lid and a moment later Harry finally came out. Harry was breathless, as if he’d been rushing. “Sorry that took so long,” he said, looking at Louis as if he’d known him for years. “Thanks for waiting.” Was this kid serious?  _ Thanks for waiting? _ For all he knew, Louis could be some kind of ax murderer. Louis just lit one up and started walking, Harry trailing close behind. “You shouldn’t smoke, you know. It’s bad for you.” 

Louis chuckled at that. “No, it's bad for  _ you,  _ Curly.” He peeked out his peripheral and saw Harry staring at him as they walked under the moonlight. He looked like a fucking puppy. Louis exhaled dramatically. “Are you not going to ask where we’re going?” He snapped.

“Oh, um, where are we going?” Harry turned away then, looking at the shops, the road, the trees. Anything but Louis.

“To a pub.”

Harry looked at Louis like he’d seen a ghost. “But I’m only sixteen, I can’t go to a pub.”

Louis looked Harry up and down. “Sixteen? Are you serious? You’re as tall as me.”

“And still growing,” Harry said with a cheeky grin. “Doctor says I’m gonna be six foot!”

“Are you now?” Louis couldn’t help the jealousy in his voice. “Well anyway, I know the owners, so you’ll be fine.”

They mostly walked in silence the rest of the way, occasionally accidentally bumping shoulders and Harry apologizing profusely. When they finally made it to the pub, Harry looked up at the sign and Louis could feel his nervousness. He put his arm around Harry’s shoulders and guided him in. “Come on then, that’s a good lad.”

The inside was dimly lit, and the haze of smoke didn’t make seeing any easier. There were Halloween and various Autumn decorations everywhere even though it was only the top of September. There was a sign advertising a pumpkin ale and Louis sneered at it, ordering a glass of brandy when he reached the bar. “What do you want?”

“Oh, I don’t really drink all that often.”

Louis rolled his eyes and yelled toward the bartender, “He’ll have whatever’s fruity.”

Turns out, Harry was a lightweight. By the time he finished his second drink he already seemed drunk. Louis was getting impatient now, wondering how this boy was meant to die tonight. Alcohol poisoning? Tripping down a flight of stairs? Walking into traffic? Now that he thought about it, the glow around Harry was beginning to diminish. That couldn’t be possible though, so Louis chalked it up to the lighting.

A group of men barreled in through the doors, laughing loudly. Louis turned away and ducked his head. “Do you know them? We should say hi--” Harry put his hand up to wave and Louis snatched it, putting it down on the bar.

“Those men are nobody to wave at Harry, if you even look at them funny they’ll beat you to a pulp. I borrowed money from them once, I’m lucky I’m still breathing. Never ever go up to them unless you’ve got a death wish, got it?” Harry nodded and Louis stopped then, remembering that Harry was supposed to die tonight. “On second thought, do you get into fights often?”

Harry swallowed the sip of his refill he had taken. “Who, me? No, I don’t really like confrontation. Hey what’s this called?” He pointed to his drink, slurring now.

Louis sighed, frustrated. “A sex on the beach.” Harry giggled, his curls bouncing as he smiled at nothing in particular. Louis wasn’t sure when Harry would meet his end, but he knew that his soul would definitely be the purest he’d ever seen.

An hour later, Harry was falling asleep into his hand and Louis was singing along to a song that was playing. “Wow, Louis,” said Harry, springing back to life, “you sing like an angel.”

Louis laughed harder than he should’ve. “Ohh Harry, you innocent little thing,” he said, catching his breath. “I am an angel.”

There wasn’t anything wrong with telling him, really. He was going to die soon anyway. “What?” Harry asked incredulously. “No way.”

“Yes way,” Louis smiled fondly. It was kind of fun to be able to tell the truth. “Want to see?” Harry nodded enthusiastically. Louis pulled up his shirt, and it took a minute for Harry to realize that Louis had no belly button. But when he did, his eyes grew wide, and suddenly he was throwing up all over the bar.

“Do you know your way home?” Louis asked. They were walking outside now, having been kicked out of the pub. Louis had to put his arm around Harry to keep him steady as they walked. Harry nodded weakly.

A few minutes passed until Harry told him to take a left. “M’sorry…” he said.

Louis looked down at Harry. “What for?”

“I didn’t mean...when I saw your stomach. That’s not why I got sick, I swear.”

Louis stopped then. He turned to Harry. “I just got you drunk, told you I was an angel, and now you’re apologizing to me?”

“I don’t care that you have no navel. I think…” he hiccuped, “I think you’re a beautiful angel.” Louis had forgotten how to breathe, but he started walking again. “Why is that?”

“Why is what? Oh, I don’t have one because I wasn’t born. I was created by God.”

“Wow…”

When they finally made it to Harry’s Louis was beyond confused. Why hadn’t he died yet? He was sure when he saw him at the bakery that he only had a matter of hours left. “Thank you for taking me out, Lou.” Louis softened at the nickname, then stiffened when he realized that the boy was no longer glowing. At all.

Reality sunk in as Louis remembered that he had told Harry that he was an angel. Proved it to him. And now he wasn’t going to die. Maybe he was too drunk to remember? “Um, Harry? Do you work tomorrow?” Harry nodded. “Great, I’ll see you then.”

Harry’s face lit up. His eyes were glassy and he smiled lovingly. “Really? Oh, thank you Louis!” He wrapped his arms around him before turning and stumbling through his front door, muttering softly, “I met an angel...I met an angel…”

Shit.


	3. If The Truth Tell

It rained all day. Louis sat in his cold, creaky abandoned house and watched the candle flames dance in front of the window. He was so anxious. He would’ve gone to the bakery by now and asked Harry upfront if he remembered last night, but the only form of transportation he had were his motorbike and his own two legs. Both of those included getting wet on the way there, which would’ve put Louis in an even worse mood.

He kept going in circles in his head; wondering if it was such a bad thing for a human to know his secret, deciding that yes it was a very bad thing, plotting ways to lie, googling how to draw on a navel, etc.

He was about to scream into a pillow once again until out of the corner of his eye, he saw a stream of sunlight pouring through the trees. The rain was finally letting up. Louis scrambled to pull some clothes on and grab his keys, telling himself as he ran out to his bike that he was only excited to get it over with, and definitely not excited to see Harry.

The bell above the bakery door chimed as Louis stepped inside, and he saw Harry look up to greet whoever was coming in, but when Harry saw that it was Louis, he smiled so big that Louis swore his face would split right then and there.

“Louis!” He breathed out, a little too loudly to be professional. The other people in the room looked between them curiously.

Louis quickly walked over to the counter and his face burned as he knew he was being watched. Quietly, he said, “Harry, I need to talk to you about something, it’s about last night—”

“Harry!” A voice echoed from the back of the shop.

“Okay,” Harry replied. “I just—”

“Haaaaarry! Come here a minute!”

“I’m so sorry, I really have to go, b-but if you come to my house tomorrow, that’s my day off, and we can talk then!” Harry rushed around as the voice from the back kept calling. “I’m coming!” He snuck a muffin out of the case, quickly slid it into a bag, and handed it to Louis. “See you tomorrow,” he said with a smile and a wink before he fled to the back.

Louis just stood there, processing what had just happened. When he turned around he was met with four pairs of staring eyes that belonged to little old women with fond expressions on their faces. “What?” He asked. The women just turned back to their original positions.

He had to go and meet Harry, right? That was the question Louis had kept asking himself as he paced the floor the next day. Finally he gave up, slipping on a pair on black Tom’s and heading out the door.

The whole ride there, Louis could feel something like a flower blooming in his stomach. Although he would never admit it, he was kind of happy to be seeing Harry. He ate Harry’s muffin yesterday, and it nearly satisfied him. He kept thinking about how Harry probably helped make it, smiled as he plopped the berries in the batter, sweat as he pulled them from the oven, beamed as he laid them out to cool… and for some reason, these thoughts made Louis feel like the baked good was actually filling him up, but in a different way.

He tried to wave away the thought as he pulled into the driveway. Harry hadn’t really said what time to come, so he figured noon was a safe bet. He walked up and knocked on the door, feeling a bit nervous for some reason.

A girl answered, looking shocked to have a visitor. “Hello, can I help you?” She asked timidly.

“Um, yes actually. Is this where Harry lives?” Louis thought the girl’s eyes couldn’t get any wider. Slowly, she put one finger up to signal for Louis to wait, and closed the door.

Louis heard some whispering, then someone tripped over something that sounded like it hurt. Suddenly he saw the door open to reveal Harry, smiling through obvious pain. “Oops,” said Harry, wincing and laughing it off as he rubbed his left foot against the back of his other leg.

“Hi,” Louis greeted, smiling a bit at the boy’s clumsiness. “Did you want to uh..” Louis trailed off as Harry shushed him a bit and stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

“Sorry, my stepdad is sleeping, so we have to be quiet. Um, how long can you wait? I kind of forgot we were meeting and I have to finish up my chores.” Harry looked so sad, but smiled politely.

“Well, I do have to work tonight, but other than that I’ve not got much going on. I can’t wait terribly long though, because we really do need to talk. What is it that you have to do?”

“Just some tidying. Dishes, sweeping, mopping and such. H-hey, what are you—” Harry squeaked as Louis started to push his way through him and into the house.

“I can’t wait around all day, so I might as well help you.”

“Shh!” Said both Harry and the girl. That’s when Louis heard the loud snoring, and looked across the room to see a bear of a man laying in a reclining chair, cuddled up to a bottle of vodka. Louis could feel the fear running through Harry and whom he assumed was his sister.

He put his hands up to assure him that he would be quiet, and followed them to the kitchen to help clean.

After a while of cleaning in silence, Louis felt the other two relax more, but suddenly they all heard the creaking of a chair and the grunting of the man struggling to get out of it. In a hurried whisper, Harry ushered Louis and his sister into a nearby room. “Go, go, go!”

It was dark, and Louis tried to stay quiet. “I’m Gemma,” Harry’s sister whispered.

“I’m Louis,” Louis replied. “I would shake your hand, but I can’t really see.” Then, after a bit of silence, “am I not supposed to be here?”

“Not really. Greg doesn’t like guests coming over.”

“Oh, I see. But why are you hiding?”

Before Gemma could answer, there was a huge thump that echoed through the house. Harry opened the door of the room they were in. “Did he faint?” Asked Gemma.

“Yes but I think he’ll be alright, you can come out now.” Louis and Gemma stepped out of the room.

“You two go on and talk, I’ll finish the rest,” offered Gemma sweetly.

“Gem, no, it’s alright.” Protested Harry.

“She’s right Harry, he might wake up again.” Harry blushed at that, but gave in, taking Louis’ hand and kissing his sister goodbye.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Asked Harry, once they were out the door.

“I think we should go somewhere private to talk about it.” Answered Louis.

“Alright, well now that you’ve seen my place, we could go to yours?”

“Mine?” Louis was stunned. “Um, yeah okay. Yeah let’s go to mine, hop on.” Louis swung a leg over his motorbike and Harry just stood there for a moment.

“No helmets?” 

“What are you, five? Get on already.”

Harry got on reluctantly, but before he knew it he was laughing, loving the feeling of flying down the road, wrapped around Louis.

Louis felt Harry start to get nervous as he drove off of the road and into the woods, and he waited until he stopped in front of his home to say something.

“You may have noticed that it’s falling apart a bit.”

“Just a bit,” Harry replied, not wanting to be rude.

On the outside, the abandoned house was green with moss and the wood was decaying. The door looked like it was falling off the hinges and some of the top windows were broken. Other than that, it looked like it used to be a beautiful home.

“I found it this way when I… moved here. It was abandoned all the way out here in the woods. So I stay here. There’s no rent, no one to bother me.” Louis didn’t really feel ashamed, but still felt the need to explain.

“That sounds nice. I pay the rent by working at the bakery. Even still, it’s not usually enough.” Harry didn’t complain, he simply stated it as fact. Louis felt a twinge of sympathy, but wrapped an arm around the boy and led him inside.

The interior of the house could’ve been an entirely different world from the one they were in just a moment ago. All of the furniture was old, but kept clean. There were bookshelves and hundreds of books. The sunlight was peaking through the windows and washing everything in a yellow glow. Other than the vines of ivy crawling up the wall, and a hole in the ceiling that exposed the upstairs, you would have never known the place was an abandoned house.

Harry yelped when he felt something snake around his leg. He looked down to see a black cat rubbing itself on his trousers. “And who is this?”

“Ah, that’s Cat. He comes by every once in a while. He’s not mine.”

“You named your cat, Cat?” Harry said, giggling.

“I just said he’s not mine.”

“Do you feed him?” Harry leaned down to pet Cat.

“Well yes, I do but—oh c’mon, let's go upstairs.” They made their way up the spiral staircase. Upstairs, the ceiling was low and pointed in the shape of the house. The floors were wood and there were candles everywhere. Pages of words (lyrics? Stories?) were splayed all over the floor and in a corner sat an old acoustic guitar.

“You play the guitar?” Asked Harry, still stunned by the beauty of the house.

“A bit. And the piano as well. There’s one downstairs but it isn’t tuned.” Louis took Harry over to a corner of the room that had pillows, furry blankets, a short coffee table, and some mugs. It looked so cozy, and Harry immediately gravitated towards it and snuggled up to the pillows.

“Wow. I really love it here, Louis. It seems so lonely, and so homey at the same time, you know?” Harry kept smiling as he looked around the room. Somehow the chipping paint on the walls made it even more beautiful.

“Not sure, I’ve only ever lived here really,” answered Louis mindlessly as he stacked the messy papers into a pile.

“But, I thought you said you moved here?” There was an awkward beat.

“Right, well I sort of did… um… well, your accent is a bit different. Where are you from?” 

Harry still wasn’t convinced, but he answered anyway. “I’m from Cheshire originally. We used to live in a really big house, and I had lots of friends there.”

“When did you move?” Louis wasn’t making conversation anymore, he was genuinely curious.

“About ten years ago, when I was around six or seven. My mum passed away during childbirth, and so we couldn’t afford the house anymore. My stepdad, my sister, and I moved out here into the small house we have now, and I started working when I was thirteen.”

“That’s a bit young, isn’t it?” Louis got up to start lighting some candles, as it had started to rain again and the sun wasn’t as prominent.

“Yes, well my stepdad got sacked from his job, and my sister was already working, but it wasn’t enough. I started out as a paperboy, but it was giving my spine issues. I used to go to the bakery everyday just to say good morning to everyone. One day when I was about fourteen, the baker and his wife offered me a job and told me I could take the leftover bread home at night.” Louis loved listening to Harry talk. His voice was like honey. Slow, dark, and sweet coming out of his mouth. “But enough about me,” said Harry. “I really want to know more about you.” He sat up straighter, to show he was ready to listen.

Louis sighed, unsure what to do. “Harry… do you remember the other night at all?”

“Of course,” he responded. “I wasn’t that drunk. Still very sorry about vomiting and getting us thrown out, though.”

Louis grew pale. He knew there was a chance that Harry remembered, but hearing it made his head spin. “It’s alright, I mainly meant the bit about me…”

“About you being an angel?” Harry said it so carelessly, so nonchalantly, it made Louis flinch.

“Yes, about that. I—”

“You don’t have to worry about it, Louis. I’m not gonna tell anyone.” Harry looked at him earnestly.

“You’re not?” 

“Of course not! You’re my friend, silly.” Harry just grinned at Louis, and Louis could feel himself melting like the wax of the candle sat beside him. He had a friend. 

“Oh,” was all Louis could get out at first. “Okay, so what do you want to know?” He couldn’t believe the words came out of his mouth, but he felt like he could trust Harry. Still, his nerves were shot, and he pulled out a cigarette as he listened.

“Why don’t you have wings?” Harry asked, waiting patiently as Louis took his first drag.

He exhaled. “I’m a fallen angel. Have you heard of one?”

“Sort of.”

“Well, it means they cast me out of heaven. I just so happened to land here ten years ago, had no idea what I was doing. So I found this place and the rest is history.”

Louis was never fond of physical interaction, but he never wanted to reach out and touch someone as much as he wanted to touch Harry. He looked so soft and warm, his kind eyes lighting up as he listened intently to Louis.

So he scooched over beside him, and put Harry’s head on his chest so that he could touch his curls. Harry let him, letting out a pleasant hum.

“Why did you get kicked out? That is, if you don’t mind me asking...” Louis could tell Harry meant to be polite, but he could feel his confidence coming off of him in waves. He knew that Louis would tell him anything he wanted now.

“I guess I just never understood why humans were so special. They destroy Earth, treat animals poorly, kill each other... what’s so great about that? Why should I give a shit about them? I guess I’ve always been kind of similar to Lucifer in that way, so they named me Louis.” He chuckled darkly to himself and took a drag of his cigarette. “I should’ve known the day they named me that they would throw me out.” 

Silence hung in the smoky air for a while. “Do you still feel that way?” Harry looked up at Louis through his curls with those innocent doe eyes that just melted him right to his pitch black core. Who would think such things about such a beautiful boy? He played it cool. “Um... mostly, yeah. With a few exceptions.”

Harry smiled brightly because he knew he was the exception, and Louis pushed him a bit, annoyed by his cheekiness.

“There’s something else you should know about me, Harry.” Both men grew stiff as Louis explained to Harry how he needed to drink pure souls to survive. Louis thought that Harry would run at that point, but he didn’t.

“But you don’t kill people?”

“No.”

“What happens to the souls then? Do they not go to heaven?” 

“Trust me kid, it’s overrated up there anyway.”

“I wish you could do that with bad souls instead,” Harry said quietly.

“Well that makes no sense, like I said, I don’t kill people, I just know when they’ll die. So it wouldn’t make a difference. Besides, I’m not some kind of superhero.” Louis hadn’t meant to sound harsh, but he did. It was only because he felt insecure. He felt like a monster worse than humans.

Harry didn’t talk for a long time, but Louis could tell something was wrong. When he finally spoke, he said, “my mum used to talk about angels when I was younger. She told me all about how they save people.”

“I’m sorry, Harry, but I’m not like that. I don’t save people.” Louis waited for Harry to feel crushed, to push him away. “I have to go to work soon, help me blow out the candles?”

“Can I go with you?” Harry asked.

“I work as a bouncer at a nightclub, that’s hardly your scene. Plus, I can’t let anyone in who isn’t dressed up.”

“Oh.”

They stood up and blew out the candles. The sun was setting now. Louis asked if Harry wanted a ride back to his house, but he just shook his head. It wasn’t very far anyhow.

Louis got on his bike and wished with all of him that he could make whatever Harry was feeling go away.

Harry looked as if he was near tears when he finally spoke. “You do save people, Louis,” he said, voice breaking. “The day you came into the bakery. I was going to… I was going to end my life that night. But you came in and you took me out. You asked me if what I was going to do was better than having the time of my life, remember that?” Louis couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe as it all came together. “So don’t say you don’t save people, Louis. You saved me.” Harry was crying then, his fists balled at his sides.

Louis reached an arm out and squeezed Harry’s shoulder until he looked up. They looked at each other, and they didn’t have to say anything, really. Louis’ eyes thanked Harry’s, and Harry unclenched his fists with a relieved sigh.

Louis didn’t wave as he rode off, he didn’t need to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like it? If you did, please let me know what parts! More coming soon!


	4. Where Do Monsters Come From?

It had been a few days since Louis had last seen Harry. His house felt quieter and colder than usual, and his days seemed darker and more boring. It didn’t help that he hadn’t had a soul in weeks, and he felt utterly ill.

The thing is, he had picked up on a few scents, but he couldn’t bring it in him to hunt. As annoying as it was, being around Harry made Louis feel even worse about drinking souls. He didn’t want to be like that, didn’t want Harry to be around someone like that.

At the moment, he was getting dressed and dreading going to work. He liked his job just fine, but while he used to stand for hours with no problem, now he spent that time thinking of  _ Harry Harry Harry. _

He was truly pathetic at this point. He would pick up a phone and call him, but he didn’t have his phone number. Of course, he could go to his house or the bakery, but that seemed stalkerish. For the first time in his life, he was trying  _ not _ to follow someone.

It was a few hours into work when Louis accepted the fact that he was in fact going insane. He had been moping about, uninterested in flirting with anyone or picking out the (rare) pure souls, when his eyes locked on a gangly figure in line. They were sporting the same curly mane that Harry had, but they were too far for Louis to identify.

His stomach did flips as he let people through while simultaneously keeping an eye on the curly shadow. It couldn’t possibly be him, could it? Thankfully he didn’t seem to be there with anyone.

He was just about done arguing with a particularly whiny human about whether they could come in or not when he heard a familiar laugh. His eyes snapped up to meet a grinning Harry, light dancing in his eyes.

“Hi Lou,” that breathy voice always caught Louis by the vocal cords. But it was more than the voice that left him speechless this time. Harry’s eyes were underlined with turquoise eyeliner and his lips were glittery. His nails were painted and he was wearing a purple, long sleeved fishnet top with a black leather vest and matching trousers.

Louis could feel all the blood rush from his face and go...elsewhere. “W-wow. Hi? What on earth are you wearing?” He asked, looking Harry up and down incredulously.

“Do you like it?” Harry bit his sparky lip and swayed side to side for maximum effect.

“Like it… I love it.” Louis sorted himself, clearing his throat. “Why are you here?”

“I couldn’t stay away… I missed you, Louis. I would’ve called but… please let me in. Maybe if you can catch a break, we could dance together or something?” Harry’s face was so sweet, it could rot Louis’ teeth out.

He sighed, “Okay, okay. Watch yourself in there, yeah?” He reluctantly unclipped the rope in front of the club’s entrance. “Have fun.”

“LOUIIIIIIIIS!!!”

A scream reached its way to Louis’ ears and he saw nothing but red. Before Louis knew it, bodies were flying past him as he pushed through the crowd to get to a glowing, cowering Harry, surrounded by none other than the troublesome men from the pub.

“Fuck is going on around here?!” Louis exclaimed when he got hold of Harry. It was then that he realized that the leader, Michael, was soaked in alcohol.

“That your boy, Louis?” Asked the giant of a man, his chest heaving.

Louis looked at Harry and back at Michael. “Yeah, yeah he is.”

Michael spit at Louis’ feet and got in Harry’s face. He growled, “you’re lucky this punk came here to save you. Next time we see you ’round here,  _ you’re dead _ .” 

Each of the men shoulder checked Louis on their way out of the building. He turned to Harry then. “What were you thinking?”

“I-I was just trying to dance and um, they were being creeps and wouldn’t let go of me so I… I threw his drink on him. I’m so sorry Lou. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.” He was still shaking, but luckily no longer had a glow around him.

“It’s not your fault. Come on, let’s get you home.” Louis went to goad him out the door, but Harry didn’t move.

“About that… I sort of snuck out. I told my sister not to wait up for me, so I have no way back in…” he said, looking at the floor sheepishly.

Louis sighed. “Oh, Harry,” he groaned, wiping his face with his hands. “It’s alright, you can stay with me tonight. Let’s go.”

Louis let his boss know he was leaving early and put Harry on the back of his bike. It had started to rain and he knew Harry must be freezing in his ridiculous outfit, so he sped all the way there.

It was dark, really dark when they got to Louis’ house. He didn’t have any electricity, so he turned on the flashlight that he kept by the door so Harry would be less scared. 

They creaked up the stairs and lit just about every candle Louis owned. Harry was very wet and at risk of getting sick, so Louis wrapped him up in about five blankets, turning the boy into a burrito. He turned to create a spot of his own, but Harry opened the blankets, inviting Louis into the warmth.

“Such a baby,” said Louis, but he couldn’t be happier as he crawled inside. The blush on his body was no doubt warming them up like a furnace.

“M’really sorry, Lou,” said Harry, unable to look at the angel. “My sister will be up at around five if you want to drop me off then…”

Louis couldn’t get a good read of Harry’s emotions. Something was so off. “Why do you do that?” 

“What?” Harry asked, near sleep already.

“Feel guilty, when you’re meant to feel appreciative?”

It was silent for a long time, and Louis thought Harry must’ve fallen asleep.

“Dunno,” he replied, the word disappearing in the dark.

Louis and Harry got a lot better at communicating since then. They exchanged phone numbers and visited each other when they felt like it. 

Louis’ motorbike broke, and he couldn’t afford to fix it. Thankfully the bakery wasn’t too far from his house, but Harry bought a bicycle anyway so that he could give Louis rides to work at night. Harry’s shifts usually ended at five, an hour before Louis’ started, so it kind of worked out perfectly.

When they had days off, they’d play bad music on the untuned piano and the four stringed guitar, or jump in the freezing cold stream by Louis’ house and warm up with tea and cuddles afterward.

Louis wasn’t quite sure what his and Harry’s relationship was. They had spoken about being friends, but do friends do all of these things together? Do friends think about each other every waking hour of the day? He just wasn’t sure.

Either way, it didn’t stop him from coming to the bakery every morning just to see his cute face light up. He got acquainted with Harry’s regulars, and they liked him just fine when he remembered to put his cigarettes out before he walked in.

One particular morning, the bakery smelled of gingerbread and butter, and Harry looked extra adorable with his hair all a mess. “Heya Hazza,” greeted Louis in a sing-song voice.

“Louuu,” he whined, getting used to the nickname. “Would you like a muffin this morning?” He asked cheekily, knowing the answer already.

“Of course,” Louis preened. 

Harry got a blueberry muffin from the case, as well as some scones in a separate bag. “Can you hand these to Miss Jenny for me please? She’s having a hard time walking today.”

Louis smiled, taking the items and spinning around to take them to the little old lady. He stopped when he saw her, as she was covered head to toe in a beautiful, white glow. “Fuck,” whispered Louis.

“Lou? What’s wrong?” Asked Harry from behind him.

“It’s nothing,” Louis assured him. But of course, he was lying. He went over to Miss Jenny and sat in the seat across from her. “Hello dear,” he said, handing her the scones.

“Ah!” She exclaimed happily. “Thank you, love.” Her voice shook as she spoke, and she smiled as she took the baked goods from the sack.

“Miss Jenny, what are your plans this morning?” Louis couldn’t help but ask. He was curious, and his entire body ached and shook from hunger. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could go without a soul.

“Well,” she said around a bite of food, “I was hoping to have a nice, relaxing day, just feeding the birds.” Her eyes were kind, and Louis could tell she felt very tired. Louis was sad and in turmoil. He didn’t want to, but he didn’t really have a choice. As if the lady could read his mind, she said, “come with me. I don’t really want to be alone today.”

Louis felt emotional, but he agreed and wrestled with his thoughts for the remainder of their breakfast.

“I know what you are, love,” said Miss Jenny as her and Louis sat on a park bench, feeding the birds. There was a fog low to the ground, and it was eerily silent.

“You do?”

“Yes. The closer I come to leaving this world, the more he speaks to me. I know my time is coming, and that’s alright. I’ve lived a long, happy life. And,” she paused, looking at him now. “I see you with Harry. I see him with you.” She grabbed another handful of bird seed. “I’ve been coming to that bakery for years now, and that’s mainly because of that boy. He’s troubled, you know. But he’s got so much potential in him.” Louis just listened respectfully. “He deserves happiness, Louis. And I can tell that you make him happier than anyone else can. If I can contribute in any way to keeping you around him, I will.”

Louis was crying now. “But Miss Jenny—”

She put a hand on Louis’ knee. “I believe that God will take care of me. I may not know where or when, but he promises he will. Don’t cry, love. It’s alright.” She smiled sweetly and took his hand in hers, closing her eyes. She took a deep breath, and let go. Louis saw her soul come out of her body and make its way toward him, and he breathed it in.

Still in tears, but feeling much better in a bittersweet way, he took his phone out and called someone to report her passing. Before he left, he kissed her cheek goodbye.

He couldn’t bear going back to the bakery, so he just went home. A few hours later he called out of work and sat in a corner of his room, mindlessly strumming at his guitar and wondering about the meaning of all of this.

He heard Cat mew and the creaking of familiar footsteps on the stairs. It was Harry, of course. Had it been that long already?

“Louis? Why is it so dark in here?” He heard Harry call out. Harry lit a few candles and Louis stood up to greet him. “You look like you’re getting over your cold,” Harry said happily, but Louis could feel his nervousness. When he got closer to the light, Louis could see a dark bruise forming under Harry’s right eye.

“Haz,” Louis stepped forward and reached his hand out to Harry’s face, but he flinched. “What’s happened to your face?”

“I um, I got in a fight.”

Louis guffawed. “You? In a fight? Bullshit. What happened?” He could feel himself getting angry.

“It  _ was _ a fight…” Harry pleaded. “Just, more of a one sided one.”

Louis could really feel the anger bubbling in him now. “Who did it?” There was no question in his voice. Only a demand to know.

“Louis, please. Please drop it. There’s nothing you can do to fix it—“

“Oh I can think of a few good ways to fucking fix it.”

“Louis!” Harry yelled. Louis stopped then and saw that Harry was on the brink of tears. “I still care about him, okay?” And then quietly, “He’s still my step dad…”

Louis was bewildered. A father beating his own son? Disgusting. Vile. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t go down there and kick his teeth in.”

“He only does it when he’s drunk.”

“And how often is that?”

Harry barely whispered, “every day…”

“Yeah? And what about your sister? Do you let him pummel her as well?” Louis knew the words were wrong but he couldn’t stop them.

“No! He would never. He usually mistakes her for my mum, and cries when he sees her. I can’t remember the last time he called her Gemma. Only Anne. So she mostly just stays in her room.” He was crying, face in his hands.

“That’s not good enough, Harry,” Louis said, softer now.

“I know he doesn’t mean it,” Harry sobbed, looking Louis in the eye. “He used to be really nice to me and Gem before my mum passed... he’s just sick, is all.”

“Harry, he chooses to drink.”

“Maybe he doesn’t! Maybe he just did that one night... and now it’s like he needs to, or else he’ll remember…” Harry looked off at something in the distance. “And besides, I kind of understand how he feels, really. Being so desperate to forget.” His voice broke. He hadn’t been this vulnerable since the first day he came over.

“I’m sorry, Harry.” Louis stepped forward and enveloped him in his arms, aware of his injured face. “I just got upset… I don’t want anyone to hurt you.”

Harry just sniffled. “Can we have tea, please?” He looked up at the angel and Louis’ heart broke.

“Of course, love. You settle in with Cat and I’ll go start the fire, yeah? I’ll be right back.”

Louis went downstairs to the fireplace and set it up to boil the water. He was a mess of emotions. Guilty and angry and sad and confused. He really felt like a human. 

When it was ready, Louis gathered their cups and some biscuits he’d had, and brought them up to Harry.

He was curled up with Cat and some blankets, reading over Louis’ poetry like he had dozens of times before.

Louis laughed softly, causing Harry to look up. “Why do you read that rubbish?”

Harry frowned. “S’not rubbish! I love your writing. It’s so lovely.” Louis sat down with him and handed him a warm cup. “Biscuits?” Harry asked.

“Yeah, they’re not as good as yours obviously, but I had them lying around, so.” Louis smiled and cuddled up to him.

“Oh, that reminds me. I need to wake up early to make more scones for Miss Jenny. She has a doctor’s appointment tomorrow and needs to be there right when we open.” Harry hurriedly got a pen to write a reminder on his hand. Louis softly took the pen from his hand and set it down. “Lou?”

“Harry… Miss Jenny…” Louis trembled as he tried to get the words out. “She passed away this morning.”

“What?” Harry looked down, confused and in shock. “Is that what she meant? Oh no…” he held onto Louis tighter. “This morning she told me not to worry about her appointment tomorrow, but I figured she was just being polite.”

Louis hated himself for being any part of something that made Harry unhappy. “She wasn’t sad when she passed,” he said weakly. “She was happy, and she loved you very very much, Harry.”

Harry soothed Louis. “Hey, it’s okay, Lou.”

“No,” Louis pushed him off a bit. “No, it’s not okay! I drank your friend’s soul, I’m a  _ monster _ .”

Harry didn't confirm or deny that, he just took Louis’ head in his arms and held him until he stopped shaking.

“Do you think Greg feels like a monster, then?” Louis just looked at him inquisitively. “Because, well, he has to drink something too. To keep the pain away. And when he drinks, he hurts people. It’s kind of like with you, only different.”

Louis didn’t want to admit it, but Harry had just made him realize why some humans drink and do drugs after all. It made him dizzy and sick to think he had been wrong about it for so long. “I don’t think he thinks much of anything, Hazza. He’s too drunk,” Louis reassured him.

“I hope he doesn’t.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I know this one was sad but hopefully you liked it! Don’t worry, it gets better. Please let me know what you think in the comments, it really helps me :)


	5. Spaces Between

“Lou… Louis,” Harry whispered, gently nudging Louis awake.

“Hmm?” Louis hummed, stretching. He felt sticky and uncomfortable, having slept too well with a big gangly boy in his arms the night before. But now the boy was looking at him intently, anxiously. He sat up on his elbows. “What is it Haz? Are you alright?” He mumbled, his voice gritty with sleep.

Harry was wide awake, and looked like he was mustering up the courage to say something. “I have to ask you something.”

“I already told you, having double nipples is way weirder than having no navel—”

“No! Not that,” he sighed and chewed at his lip nervously. After a deep breath he said, “I love spending time here. With you. Our nights together, making music, playing games, talking… all of it.” Louis then became a bit anxious himself.

“Is there going to be a ‘but’?” Louis asked, yawning and rubbing the October morning out of his blue eyes.

“No! No, just—just an ‘and’. Well, what I’m trying to say—or, ask—”

“Oh for God’s sake Harry please spit it out,” Louis begged.

“Louis, would you like to go on a date? With me?” Harry bit his lip and awaited his answer with wide eyes.

Louis was shocked to say the least. He knew they were more than conventional friends, but he wasn’t expecting anything like this. “I… you mean like, a dinner date?”

“Well no, it doesn’t have to be. It could be anything really. We could go swimming or have tea or go on a walk…” Harry prattled on.

“But, those are things we already do,” Louis pointed out.

“Yeah, so?”

“So, what’s the difference between what we do now, and a date?” Louis was genuinely confused.

Harry’s face fell and he ran a hand through his messy hair. “Forget it, I guess,” he said with a sigh.

Louis’ stomach sank. “Nonono! Don’t get me wrong, I want to. I really want to! I’ve just never done this before and, well, I don’t want to mess it up. I like how we are, I don’t want that to change…” 

Harry smiled and laughed softly. “Sometimes change is good, Lou. I don’t want to mess things up either, but,” he shifted near Louis, “I wanna be closer to you.” He batted his eyelashes and Louis suddenly sweat all over.

He let out a shaky breath. “It’s so warm underneath these blankets. Maybe we should wash off in the stream?” 

Harry nodded and Louis grabbed some soap and towels.

After ten years of smoking cigarettes, Louis was finally having breathing problems. Him and Harry had bathed in the water a few times together already, but this time they hadn’t any swimming trunks to wear, and Harry was being particularly shameless.

Usually they splashed around, having fun, laughing hard, and freezing their toes off. Now Harry waded into the water fully nude with his back turned to Louis, and called for him to join.

Louis’ felt awkward, but undressed and slipped into the cold water anyway. He must’ve been obvious because when Harry turned around he grew concerned. “Are you okay? You look sick.”

Louis didn’t know how he felt, but tried to explain. He fiddled with a leaf that was floating on top of the water. “Harry, this feels… different. I’m… scared? I don’t want to feel nervous like this. I just,” he put a hand on Harry’s arm, “I just want to have fun with you.”

Harry smiled. “For an angel, you can be really dim sometimes,” he laughed. “We can still have fun! Nothing is changing, Lou. You’re still my best friend.”

_ Best friend?  _ That made Louis perk up. “Dim?! Well, I may be dim but at least I’m not wet!” He splashed water onto Harry’s face and chased him through the water.

After they had their fun, Louis felt much better, but still looked away when he and Harry got out to dry off. “So,” he said. “What kind of date did you have in mind?”

They ended up going to the Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery, and Louis watched Harry’s face light up or scrunch up depending on what he was observing.

He looked so beautiful as his big green eyes peered up at big oil paintings and danced over every inch of the canvases. His lips parted as if he had everything and nothing to say all at once. The bruise under his eye was just a light yellow now, and his long eyelashes brushed over it delicately. Louis was caught staring many times, but he didn’t mind. He found that Harry was the most interesting piece of art in the entire building. His very own ever changing sculpture to admire.

Harry would just roll his eyes and giggle, pulling him by the hand to drag him to the next exhibit. Louis felt on top of the world, and he never wanted this day to end.

They went to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park next, and Harry learned that Louis had a passion for animals. “They deserve to be in much bigger spaces,” Louis huffed on their way out.

“Aw, come now. Most of these animals came to this place injured and unable to fend for themselves. These people dedicate their lives to watching over them.” They strolled along, hand in hand now. Louis has never really thought of it that way, he always figured that humans were displaying innocent animals for money. “You know, I could see you caring for them in a place like this.”

Louis snickered. “I don’t really take care of anything but myself. And I’m already a handful. Not to mention I have to get you out of trouble every now and again,” he joked, but secretly felt happy that Harry thought so highly of him.

They walked and talked for hours, Harry lending Louis his coat when he got too cold. They ended up at an Italian restaurant called Trattoria Toscana when they were too hungry to walk the streets anymore. It was a nice place, not too daunting. The men helped each other through their menus and happily ate until their bellies were full. Even Louis enjoyed the human food. He realized that he pretty much enjoyed doing anything as long as he was sat across from Harry.

“Do you have to go home tonight?” Louis asked. They spent a lot of time together, but he couldn’t help wanting to end this perfect day wrapped around Harry.

“No, I’ll be okay. I’ll just let Gem know I’ll be out. I do have work tomorrow though, so don’t get any ideas.” Harry waggled his eyebrows, but it took a while for Louis to understand and he turned red when he did.

“Of course not! What do you take me for?” Louis said, covering his embarrassment with a wink.

It was very late when they got back to Louis’ house. They drank tea and listened to classical music on Louis’ little radio. Cat was purring in Harry’s lap and the air was full of the smell of candles and crisp air.

Louis and Harry were sat across from each other, knees nearly touching as they played a game of cards.

“Do you have a seven?” Asked Harry. He only had three matches so far, and Louis was winning.

“Nope, go fish,” answered Louis smugly.

“Ugh! Are you cheating?” Harry eyed Louis. “Not using some kind of weird angel thing?”

Louis chuckled. “Even if I could, I wouldn’t. I can beat you all on my own, thank you very much.”

Harry picked up a seven out of the pile. “Aha! Another match!” He bounced up and down, feeling victorious over his small win.

“That’s the second time you’ve done that,” Louis said warily. “Are you sure  _ you’re _ not cheating?” He pinched the inside of Harry’s thigh.

Harry shrieked. “I am offended you’d think such a thing! Look,” he held up his two matching cards to prove he wasn’t lying.

Louis leaned over and ruffled his curls. “Good lad.” 

Harry made a whiny noise. “Dunno if I like you always calling me pure and good. I’m not  _ that _ innocent.” His face turned pink and he squirmed a bit.

“Is that right?” Louis’ voice was low and sultry, he didn’t believe a word the boy said.

“Yeah, I’ve…been with girls and stuff. M’not a prude…” Harry was pouting now, and it was almost unbearable for Louis to watch.

“Show me.” Harry’s eyes snapped to Louis’ face, whose eyes were aglow like two blue flames. It was silent apart from their breathing and the soft music in the background. Harry moved Cat, slowly crawled closer to Louis, and put his hands on his shoulders. 

Painfully slow, Harry leaned in until Louis could feel their breath mingle. Louis didn’t dare move, his eyes drifted closed, waiting for Harry to close the space between them. Finally, he felt plush lips ever so gently press against his own, and he inhaled as if he were drinking in the feeling. Harry’s kiss felt better than souls, better than cigarettes, better than breathing, better than  _ being.  _ It was so soft and tingly, like a butterfly’s wing. 

He reached around the lad and lifted him onto his lap, hands clenching at the fabric on his back. Harry was caressing his face now, and Louis could almost cry at how cute it was. A young human man holding the face of a centuries-old angel. It was artistic, really.

He wanted them closer, impossibly closer. He hugged Harry to him and pressed their bodies together. Harry must’ve felt the same, because he pulled away just enough to gently lick the seam of Louis’ lips. Louis groaned and parted them to give a small lick back. They met in the middle and slowly, rhythmically explored tongue and teeth and cheek. 

There was no fear of awkwardness, no fear of judgment. As long as they were touching each other in some way, they were happy. Louis broke the kiss to leave gentle pecks all over Harry’s face. His cheekbones, his forehead, his healing bruise, his eyebrows, his chin.

Louis felt as if he were drinking water for the first time after being stranded in the desert. Everything about Harry was soft and smooth and  _ right _ .

Harry allowed his face to be kissed, letting out little happy sounds. When Louis moved down to the sensitive skin of his neck, he cried out and squirmed on Louis’.

“Are you okay?” Louis whispered.

Harry nodded, his eyes glazed over as he gripped Louis’ collar bone and grinded down into his lap.

“ _ Harry _ ,” Louis breathed out. He reached down to still his hips and ignored his whimpers. They both sat there, panting and allowing their heartbeats to slow down. “What was that?” Asked Louis.

“M’sorry. Got kind of carried away…” Harry didn’t look embarrassed, just tired and overstimulated.

“It’s alright, let’s get you to bed. You’ve got work in the morning.”

“Wait,” said Harry. He reached a hand out to Louis’ cheek and pulled him in for another kiss. This time it was deep and slow, with a thank you somewhere within it. “Okay, now I’m ready.”

Louis tucked him in and pulled an old book with a missing cover off of the shelf, bringing it back to their little nook and blowing out candles along the way.

He left one candle lit so that he could read Harry to sleep, and when he felt him relax completely in his arms, he set the book down and blew it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this fluffy chapter! Shit’s about to hit the fan! Xx


	6. Hearts Get Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prepare yourself, this one’s a ride.

November crept up on the boys, but their backs were turned to it. Time meant nothing to them when they were hand in hand. For the first time, Harry was beginning to talk about his dreams of opening a bakery of his own, and Louis was beginning to ponder what he should do with his life now that he was with Harry.

Louis loved the thought of supporting Harry forever, but he wasn’t quite sure how to show his dedication. The idea came to him one brisk morning, and as soon as he thought it, he knew it had to come into being.

“I need some time to myself this week, darling.” Louis’ fingers were interlocked with Harry’s on a restaurant table when he said it, and he hoped Harry wouldn’t take it in the wrong way.

Harry stilled, but tried to act as if he understood completely. “Yeah, okay Lou, no worries,” he said, rubbing his thumb against Louis’.

Louis sighed. “Do you forget I can sense your emotions? Trust me love, it’s nothing bad. It’s actually because I’m working on something for you.”

Harry tried not to smile but failed. “What is it?”

“Well I can’t tell you, now can I? Sheesh,” Louis joked, but he was glad Harry understood.

That week Louis worked the hardest he ever had. His knees and back ached—he felt utterly human—but it was all worth it for Harry.

He felt nervous and excited as he walked to the bakery. He had spoken to the owners, Frank and Sue, and let them in on the plan.

When he got there, he stood outside for a bit to finish his cigarette, and made a mental note to quit smoking at some point. Finally, he shook out his nerves and stepped inside. 

The elderly women that sat at the tables greeted Louis when he walked in, and Harry had to pretend like he didn’t hear them because he was in the middle of a transaction. Of course, the boy couldn’t help but slip a grin anyway.

The man who Harry was checking out left and Louis stepped up to the counter.

“Let’s go,” he said, smiling devilishly.

Harry’s brow furrowed, but Sue came up behind him. “Go on, it’s alright. I’ll cover this shift,” she said fondly, untangling his apron and swatting him out the door.

Louis just took Harry’s hand and led him outside to Harry’s bike. “Hop on.”

“Now wait a minute!” He exclaimed. He was obviously enjoying this but still wanted answers. “Where are we going?!”

Louis laughed. “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen you care about where we were going. Just get on, you’ll see.”

“Lou,” Harry said when they were stopped. “This is just your house. Frank and Sue let me off so we could fool around at your place?”

Louis turned red. “W-we’re not fooling around, I—” Harry pouted dramatically. “Oh for god sakes just come in before I change my mind!” Harry laughed and skipped toward the door. Louis sped up so that he was in front. “Brat…” he muttered.

The two stepped inside and Louis paused. Harry stood there awkwardly, waiting for something to happen. But then Louis flicked on a light.

Harry made an unintelligible sound. “How—”

“Shh! There’s more.” Louis ushered him up the stairs and turned on more lights along the way. Upstairs, the ceiling was lined with fairy lights, and there was a small day bed tucked in the corner.

Harry went to speak, but Louis kept dragging him by the arm through the house. They got to the bathroom, where the once dirty and abandoned claw foot tub was sparkling clean. Louis reached over to turn it on, and cold water slowly poured out. He shut it off quickly and led Harry to the kitchen.

Louis let go of him then, and Harry looked back at Louis a few times with his jaw dropped as he made his way through the kitchen. There was an old used oven that hadn’t been there before, and laid out on the counters were baking pans of all sizes, whisks and spatulas and bowls too. And in the middle of it all was a cream coloured apron with a note on top of it that read in familiar messy writing:  _ move in with me? _

Louis stood there nervously, waiting for Harry to say something, anything. Harry turned around and he was crying, he ran and hugged Louis tight. “But how? How did you do all of this?”

Louis was going to use the money he’d saved to buy a new motorbike, but he decided to leave that part out. “I got a generator for the electricity, and I hooked a pump up to a nearby well. It’s not much, but I wanted to make it better for you.” 

Harry kissed him then, the force of it nearly knocking Louis over. “It’s perfect,” he said.

“That’s great! I still have some money left over, so we can rent a truck to get your belongings and… Harry?” He trailed off. Harry’s face had twisted into a pitiful look, and Louis could tell he felt guilty.

Softly, he said, “I um… I didn’t say yes, Lou…” there was still love in his eyes, and Louis couldn’t understand why he would say no.

“But why?” Louis shook his head in disbelief as what he feared came true.

“It’s not you, Louis. I absolutely love this! This is the best thing anyone has ever done for me. It’s just, I can’t leave Gemma and Greg. Please understand.” Harry bit his lip and tried to hide the tears forming in his eyes.

It made sense then, Louis thought. It wasn’t that Harry didn’t want to live with him, he just didn’t want to leave his sister and step dad alone. “Are you angry?” Louis realized he had been silent for a while and he snapped out of it.

“Of course not, love. I understand. You’re so precious to think of your family, it only makes me…” Louis was going to say  _ love you more  _ but felt insecure, so instead he said “happy for you!”

Harry still had that sheepish look on his face. “I want you to come over, Lou. I’ve been spending so much time over here, I want you to feel comfortable over there as well.” There was a silent question in the air, and Harry took it upon himself to address it. “He’s stopped drinking as much. I think he’s really trying to get better.”

“Really?” Louis was shocked. He thought he’d drink himself to death soon. “How did that happen?”

“I caught him while he was sober and out of alcohol a few days ago and had a talk with him about it. Being with you… it made me see that just because someone’s actions led them to where they are doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t help them get out of it. Yes, it was his choice to start drinking, but he was so far gone there was no way for him to help himself. I know you don’t like him because he’s hurt me in the past, but I love him, so…”

Louis just admired Harry as he explained. He was truly amazing, an image of God himself, but better. More… human. He brought Harry’s face in his hands and kissed him until he needed air.

“I’d love to meet him, Harry.” 

Much to Louis’ surprise, Greg was a very kind man. He was quite timid, hand shaking as he extended it to greet Louis. There was no awkwardness about the fact that Louis was a man in a relationship with his stepson, he just quietly asked about his life and talked a bit about football.

Seeing Greg like this made Louis feel a bit woozy. How could such a nice man have made such poor life choices? But then Louis remembered what Harry had told him, that it may have been out of desperation to forget. He thought about all of the drunks he had met in his ten years on earth, and how most of their souls were still pure enough to take. He felt awful for that now.

They were all sitting at the dining table, and Harry was beaming like the sun itself. He could tell Harry was loving this, being surrounded by the people he loved most. Louis imagined how happy he would be in a room full of regulars from the bakery as well, and softened at the thought. His birthday was in February, right? Maybe he should throw him a party.

When the food was done, Harry brought it out to the table and they all joined hands to say grace. Louis felt extremely awkward as he bowed his head and listened to Greg talk to God. 

But Louis hadn’t spoken to him in a long time, and for whatever reason he closed his eyes just before the end of the prayer, and thought  _ I’m sorry. _

The food was good, most likely because Harry helped make it and he was oozing love the entire night. Louis helped clear the table and wash the dishes with Harry. They didn’t speak until Louis was putting the last plate away, and Harry came up behind him wrapping his arms around his waist. “Stay here tonight. With me,” he whispered. Louis nuzzled into the side of Harry’s face and agreed with a soft hum.

Harry’s bedroom was nothing short of adorable. The lightbulb was dying, but it was a stained glass bulb that threw colours all over the room. He had posters up on the wall of Cascada, Stevie Nicks, The Rolling Stones, and Elton John. None of the bedding matched on his made up twin size bed and the carpet looked like it had just been vacuumed.

“Did you clean for me?” Louis teased.

“No!” Harry retaliated. “M’a tidy person in general,” he huffed and plopped down on his bed. Louis stayed standing, moseying his way around the boy’s belongings. There were a few awards, some old art projects too.

“Nosy, much?” Harry was leaned back on his elbows, fonding at the sight of his boyfriend in his bedroom.

If Louis was honest, he felt amazing being there. Being in Harry’s home, spending time with his family, made Louis feel like he knew him better. He wanted to know everything about him. “Harry,” he said. “I wanna know everything about you.” He usually wasn’t so vulnerable, so straightforward, but he didn’t care. Sometimes he felt like he was downright obsessed with the boy, but he guessed that might be love.

Harry twisted his face up in a thought. “Hmm…” he got up then, making his way to a drawer and pulling out a dusty looking photo album. “Snuck this from the move,” he said as he made his way back toward the bed and patted the spot next to him. 

Louis sat down, not even trying to hide his excitement to know more about Harry’s upbringing. Harry opened the album, the inner cover was a floral pattern with spots of water damage. “Gem and Greg don’t know I kept this,” he said, flipping to the first page. 

There was a picture of baby Harry being held up by a man Louis had never seen before. “That’s my birth father,” he explained. Louis saw the resemblance then, the same nose and dimples. The next page was a picture of young Harry and Gemma, outside in a plastic pool on a sunny day. Little Harry was smiling so big with a missing tooth, and Louis made a sound that could only be described as a whine. 

“You were so cute, oh goodness what I would give to hold you that small,” Louis rested his head on Harry’s shoulder as he stared at the photograph. 

Harry giggled, then turned quiet. “And this one,” he said, obviously having memorized the order of the photos. He turned the page slowly. “Is the only picture I have of my mum.”

Louis froze. “She didn’t like having her picture taken much. I wish there were more.” Louis felt the walls closing in on him, he felt like he was going to faint. A cold sweat formed on the back of his neck and he trembled. “Lou? Louis, what’s wrong?”

His breathing was shallow and he couldn’t take his eyes off of the photo of the woman that he watched die ten years prior.

“I’ve met her,” he choked out.

“You have???” Harry still didn’t understand. “Then why are you so ups...et…” Harry trailed off as the realization sunk in. His face went blank and his chest heaved.

“Oh...oh Haz I—I mostly hung around the nurseries at that time. You know, because babies don’t really live long enough to not have pure souls and...and one day all the babies were healthy, so I walked around the hospital and… I found her. I never saw you o-or Greg, nobody was in the room! I’m so sorry.” His voice was strangled and frantic.

Harry pushed him off and stood up, shaking all over. “You stole my mother’s soul?! Y-you don’t care about me!” He shouted. “You don’t care about anyone! No one but yourself!”

“That’s not true, Harry! I’ve changed! You’ve changed me!”

But Harry wasn’t having it. Years of suppressed rage were starting to slip through the cracks. “Is that why you spend so much time around me? Hm? Because you’re waiting for me to  _ croak _ so you can EAT me?!”

“I... no! I mean, at first I did but now—” he reached out to touch Harry, his eyes begging him to listen.

“Don’t fucking touch me you—you  _ monster! _ ”

Harry ran out of the room and Louis chased him all the way out of the house and into the driveway. “Harry! Stop, please!” He called out, but it was no use. Harry was getting on his bike.

Louis didn’t know what to do, whether to leave him be or follow, but just then he saw a white aura form around Harry’s body as he took off.

“Shit!” Louis had no choice but to run after him on foot. Harry pedaled harder and Louis couldn’t catch up, but he watched as Harry’s glow made a right turn, and suddenly Louis knew where he was going.

He kept running, pulling out his cellphone and calling the police. When they answered he was breathlessly yelling into the phone. “Hi, yes I’m about to go fucking Ted Bundy on someone’s ass, so you better come find me!”

“I’m sorry sir, what—”

“I SAID I'M ABOUT TO BLOODY WELL KILL SOMEONE SO MEET ME AT FOURTEEN SOUTH PARADE!” He hung up and willed his burning legs to go faster. 

He turned the corner and sped down the street to the front of the pub, he went to go in but smelled the familiar smell of cupcakes around the corner in the alley way.

It was there he saw Harry down on his knees, his face was bloody and bruised and towering over him was Michael and his gang. Michael drew a gun out of his coat and Louis ran at them, shouting, but they didn’t pay him any attention. Louis lurched forward in between Harry and the gun and felt the bullet in his stomach before he heard the sound.

The gunshot was deafening, but Harry’s scream was louder. “NO!!! LOUIS!!!!!”

Sirens blared as the police pulled up to the alleyway and the men scattered, leaving Harry to grab hold of Louis and sob over him. Words fell uncontrollably out of Harry’s mouth. “Why would you do that?! Why would you do that?! No, I take it back,  _ please! _ ”

Louis looked up at him. He wished he could move, touch him or tell him it was going to be okay. “Don’t cry,” was all Louis could get out. Blood came out as he spoke and he wished Harry didn’t have to see this. He tried so hard to stay for him, but eventually everything stopped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorryyyy. Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	7. Assume Your Position

_ It’s been a month since Louis died. Four weeks since Harry had seen him smile. Twenty-eight days since he smelled his cigarette smoke on his clothes. Even still, Harry could feel him everywhere. He could see him leaning against the window at the bakery, could hear him whisper his name in the winter wind. This wasn’t like when his mum died. He couldn’t feel her anymore, and he was utterly, completely empty. Now, Harry feels an ache within him. A hole that needed to be filled. He could still feel Louis, and somehow it was worse that way. _

Louis coughs so hard it rattles his chest and he inhales so intensely it stabs his lungs. He looks around and sees nothing but an opaque white. “Where am I?!” He called out hoarsely.

“Has it been so long that you don’t remember?”

Suddenly the air is gone. “F-father…? Why am I here?! Please! You need to let me go back down there! Harry will, he won’t be able to live with himself after this!” He searched around frantically.

“Louis,” God draws out the last syllable calmly. “Are you not wondering why you’re not in the abyss?”

“I don’t care. You can fucking off me after Harry’s dead for all I care. But as long as he’s still breathing I need to be with him. He doesn’t deserve anything bad to happen to him!”

“My son, look, and be still.”

Suddenly Louis saw Harry from a window’s view. He was working in the bakery, and there was snow on the ground. That can’t be, Louis had only been in Heaven for a whole of five minutes, right?

“He is okay for now. He’s alive because he knows you would want him to be. He doesn’t want your death to have been for nothing.”

Louis does calm down at that, but the thought of Harry mourning him made his bones ice cold. “Why am I here?” He asked quietly.

“I’ve seen you with that boy, Louis. You care about him. You learned how to accept the flaws of humanity by falling in love with him. And most importantly, you saved him. You deserve a place in Heaven, Louis.”

“I don’t, I  _ don’t _ . I drank all of those souls…” Louis painfully remembered Harry’s mother and Miss Jenny.

“Is that all? Here…” suddenly Louis felt a tugging sensation all over him, and then nothing. “They are free.”

“What? That’s it? You freed them just like that?!”

“Did you really think I would let all those pure souls go into the abyss?”

Finally, Louis could see something—someone emerging from the blank white surrounding him. It was the woman from the hospital, the woman from the picture. Harry’s mother. 

“Hello, Louis,” greeted Anne. She was smiling and her voice was soft.

“Anne I—I’m so sorry,” Louis' voice cracked, and for the first time in centuries, he cried. He cried embarrassingly loud. “I drank your soul. I almost drank Harry’s. He’s down there all alone and I...I failed him.” He couldn’t bear to look at her.

“No, Louis. You helped him. He’s stronger now because of you. He no longer lets people take advantage of him, and he’s searching for his own purpose in life, for you.” She waded towards him then, and put a soft hand to his cheek. “God wants you down there with him.”

“Wha—” Louis gasped, and he felt himself contort uncomfortably, his muscles contracting involuntarily until he felt the sharp release of his wings cutting through the skin on his back. He felt blood trickle down, but was relieved and ready for anything.

And then, the voice of God. “My son, you have changed. Your power to see the light in humanity will forever be an asset to Earth, and you will assume your permanent position as Harry Edward Styles’ guardian angel. Go to him.”

Louis let himself fall. He fell so fast, but it wasn’t fast enough, so he turned over and pointed himself head first toward the earth like a comet, letting his wings tuck themselves behind him.

The landing was less than graceful, he plummeted into the ground and left a steaming crater behind him. He stumbled a moment, but regained himself and flew over the now naked trees, searching for Harry.

He spotted Harry’s bike outside of Louis’ house and his heart sped up as he turned and dropped down to the lawn. He fell to his knees, weak and emotionally drained. His voice cracked as he called out, “Harry!” The world spun and Louis slowly sunk down until he felt the side of his face hit the snow.

He heard the door fly open, heard Harry say his name, but couldn’t pick himself up. He just groaned in response. He felt a feather bent awkwardly underneath him and all he wanted to do was wrap himself around Harry. He whined as the boy struggled to pick him up and carried him into the house.

Louis was half asleep and he heard Harry audibly crying and breathing erratically as he made a fire in the fireplace and heated up some water.

“Louis… Louis…” Harry was holding him, stroking his hair as he hiccupped and whispered his name over and over. He must have fallen asleep again.

His joints cracked as he moved to sit up. He blinked until Harry’s wet, beautiful face came into view. “Harry.”

Harry wasted no time capturing the words on his own lips. Louis felt the younger boy’s tears slide down over his own face. They held each other for a long time, saying nothing but each other’s names.

It must have been an hour of holding each other before Louis speaks. “I’m sorry.”

Harry twisted to look at him. “For what?” He asked, he sounded offended.

“For leaving.”

“No, no Lou I’m sorry for saying all of those things. I don’t believe any of them, I was just so upset.”

Louis remembered their fight and sat up a little too quickly. “She’s okay, Harry! Anne, she’s in Heaven now. And Miss Jenny too. God released all of the souls,” Louis said shakily, his hand on the boy's shoulder.

“That’s… oh my god that’s amazing Lou. But, what? What happened?”

Louis explained to Harry what happened when he died. That God had forgiven him, gave him a spot in Heaven and made him Harry’s guardian angel.

Harry was stunned, all of the information was obviously a lot to take in. He took a deep breath and sighed. “Louis, just take me with you, up there, please,” he said in a defeated tone.

“What?! Why?” 

“I can’t do it anymore Lou. It’s too much. You said it yourself...there’s nothing good down here. Humanity is awful.”

“No,” he sat up, grabbed the boy's face in his hands and lifted his head to look at him. “I was wrong Harry, because  _ you are  _ the good in this world. I’ve seen pure humans for a decade, and never have I seen anyone like you. The world needs someone like you, so that you can spread that goodness in you. Show others like you showed me. Give them hope.”

Harry was crying now, clutching Louis’ shoulders. “It’s hard, Louis.”

“I know love. And I promise, someday I will take you up there with me, but I’m going to make sure you live a good long, happy life until then. Alright?”

Harry clung to him as he kissed him with every ounce of willpower in his body. Louis let himself go enough to match Harry’s intensity, and to show him just how much he missed him in the short time he was gone. When they pulled away from the kiss, they embraced each other tightly, never wanting to let go. “I love you, Louis.”

Louis let out a weak sob. How did he get so lucky, to be loved by the purest soul in the world? He didn’t know, but he whispered back, “I love you too, Harry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you thank you thank you for everyone who read this story!! Please let me know in the comments what your favorite parts were and whether or not I should write a short sequel. Xoxo


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